The India AI Impact Summit 2026, held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi and inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was positioned as a landmark showcase of India's ambitions in artificial intelligence, drawing global tech leaders, startups, delegates from 27 countries, and massive crowds. Instead, the event has become synonymous with organizational failures, security overreach, and a high-profile misrepresentation scandal, turning what was meant to celebrate innovation into a widely mocked embarrassment on the international stage.
The controversies began on the opening day with severe logistical breakdowns. Attendees, including founders, exhibitors, and international visitors, faced three-hour queues just to enter the venue amid poor signage, confusing registration processes, and repeated system crashes that blocked even those who had registered weeks in advance. The massive turnout—far exceeding expectations—overwhelmed the 100-acre complex, leading to overcrowding in corridors and limited space for networking or standing.
Compounding the issues was a sudden security lockdown ahead of PM Modi's arrival. The main exhibition hall and other areas were cleared and sealed for hours, leaving hundreds stranded without food, water, or access to facilities in unseasonal heat. Exhibitors were locked out of their own stalls, forced to abandon equipment under assurances that security would safeguard it. Reports emerged of stolen products, most notably from Bengaluru-based startup NeoSapien, whose patented AI wearables vanished during the evacuation. The founder described paying for flights, logistics, and a booth only to lose prototypes, with police later recovering some items.
Other attendee complaints painted a picture of disarray at a supposedly cutting-edge tech event: no functional Wi-Fi or stable internet, making live demos impossible and highlighting the irony of an AI summit plagued by connectivity failures despite 5G promises; cash-only payments at food stalls in a push for "Digital India" and UPI adoption; restrictions on bringing laptops, cameras, or even keys for those arriving by car or bike; and people being asked to sit on the ground due to insufficient seating. VIPs reportedly breezed past massive queues while ordinary participants—founders and builders—waited outside.
The speaker lineup drew criticism for featuring consultants and bureaucrats with limited real-world product experience, rather than hands-on innovators. These lapses prompted an apology from IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who acknowledged the "chaos" and overcrowding, while opposition leaders slammed the event as a "disorganised PR spectacle" prioritizing optics over execution.
The most damaging blow came from Galgotias University's pavilion. In a viral DD News interview, Professor Neha Singh described a four-legged robotic dog branded "Orion" as developed by the university's Centre of Excellence, tying it to a major AI initiative. Social media users and international observers quickly identified it as the Unitree Go2, a commercially available Chinese quadruped robot from Unitree Robotics, priced at around ₹2-3 lakh ($1,600–$2,800) and used globally for research and education. The misrepresentation sparked accusations of "shameless" plagiarism of foreign tech as indigenous innovation, amplified when the minister initially shared the clip before its deletion amid backlash.
Government sources confirmed Galgotias was ordered to vacate its stall immediately, with the university issuing an apology, blaming an "ill-informed" representative, and clarifying no intent to misrepresent. The incident drew ridicule from Chinese media, opposition parties calling it a "laughing stock," and global outlets labeling it a humiliation for India's AI credentials. Further scrutiny hit the university over other displays, like a claimed in-house soccer drone later identified as Korean-origin.
Despite genuine highlights—such as demos from IITs and health-tech startups—the early fiascos overshadowed them. With delegates from dozens of countries witnessing the mismanagement firsthand, the summit has raised serious questions about India's readiness to host world-class tech events and deliver on its "Atmanirbhar" (self-reliant) innovation narrative when execution falters under the weight of protocol and photo-ops. As proceedings continue, organizers have made adjustments for smoother flow, but the damage to reputation lingers